Greetings from a ScubaWife!

[icedcoffee5252]

@drrich2 I'll check out Sunscape. Thanks!

My husband will do the course/training, including pool work, with the kids before we travel, so hopefully we'll just need to OW training when we arrive. He's still a certified instructor, and his lifelong dream has been to be a dad and teach his kids to dive.

 

[drrich2]

I was looking at Beach T&C, but it's so expensive.

In case it's helpful - Turks & Caicos Research Notes - Turks & Caicos Research Notes

Unless I got the wrong impression or things have changed, Providenciales (which is what most people seem to mean when they say Turks & Caicos from a land-based perspective) is expensive like Grand Cayman, but online researching suggested G.C. had more topside entertainments, shorter boat rides to dive sites, and shore diving. What's more, the diving out of T&C (which I did via liveaboard) tended to start deep. You guys might go and have a great time; I'm just saying it's not the place I'd pick to take kids. Especially check up on how long boat rides to dive sites would be. I don't know of any A.I. options in Grand Cayman. Southwest flies to G.C., so consider airfare with checked luggage costs (or lack thereof) in your trip comparisons.

Oh, just thought of an A.I. option with a rep. for being a good budget option, though I have no idea whether they have a kids' club or how good instruction would be, and I don't think there's a shore dive. Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan. When I researched Roatan options, I considered CocoView Resort worth the extra money, but if there are 6 of you, your math may be different.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @icedcoffee5252

AI makes it difficult, there aren't many.

I immediately thought of Bonaire. I believe that Plaza Resort and Divi Flamingo are the only AI. I have not stayed at either and don't know the answer to the question about kid's club or babysitting. I also don't know about their house reefs, which would be very convenient, if good.

I don't think there are any AI on Grand Cayman now that Cobalt Coast is closed. You probably don't want the extra travel of going to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac

Regarding @drrich2 suggestions of Curacao and Cozumel. I have only stayed at the West end of Curacao and have no experience with AI. Not sure how Cozumel would work if you use boats, due to the drift dives.

If your husband will be teaching your kids, you probably want to make sure that is OK with the operator if using their boats for independent teaching

Good luck

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

@drrich2 I'll check out Sunscape. Thanks!

My husband will do the course/training, including pool work, with the kids before we travel, so hopefully we'll just need to OW training when we arrive. He's still a certified instructor, and his lifelong dream has been to be a dad and teach his kids to dive.

That's so cool. Give that man a big thumbs up and a hug from me.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Welcome to Scubaboard! Glad to see someone from close by. If you frequent Lake Phoenix then Id love to dive with your you and your husband sometime.

 

[Altamira]

If you aren't real picky about food, and realize an AI is not likely going to involve gourmet dining, especially an AI where kids are present, I would give a strong second to @drrich2's recommendation for the Sunscape Curacao. We spent a month there in 2021, and would go back in a heartbeat if they upgraded the food preparation a bit to make my wife a happy diner. I personally found the food to be OK, but they don't change the menu from day to day at any of the restaurants, and that got a bit tedious after the first ten days. They have a kids club, a safe lagoon for swimming and snorkeling, an excellent on site dive shop (Ocean Encounters), and the very well regarded The Dive Bus dive op, a five minute walk from the resort's front door, for shore diving.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Ideally, I'd love to find an AI someplace or a nice resort that also has a kids club and/or things to do for kids. We also have a 4-year old, and I'll be staying back with him while the others dive.

AI appeals to me b/c I'd prefer not to spend time finding restaurants we can all agree on off-site, taking taxis/cars that fit all of us, and my kids are picky while my husband and I aren't

I would look at Bayahibe on the south Caribbean Sea side of the Dominican Republic. There is reef diving, wall diving, wreck diving and even a cave dive. The dives sites are mostly 60 or 70 feet deep or less with a few exceptions. The boat ride is less than 30 minutes to most sites. We been there 4 times so far.
We stay at Dreams Domincus La Romana. Dreams resorts are really good with kids and they have a kids club for age 3 to 12 year olds and a teen club for 13 to 17 year olds. There is an artificial reef just off the beach for snorkeling. https://www.amrcollection.com/en/resorts-hotels/dreams/dominican-republic/dominicus-la-romana/ This a video (not mine of the resort and area.
I always dive with Scuba Fun. It is a small local dive shop in the fishing village of Bayahibe, John the owner is at the shop every morning, most of his staff are long term employee's so they know the dive sites well, they will store your gear, and will pick you up and take you back to the resort. It is only about a 10 minute drive to the dive shop. ScubaFun | Dive Center Bayahibe